How he came up with this dish: “It's mainly the style of Hot Joy, with different concepts. At The Monterey, I try to do food that's not as fast. This is more of the style of a fast Chinese restaurant ... utilizing unfamiliar Asian ingredients,” he said. “To feature a product that is unfamiliar and also totally approachable is what I really enjoy doing. It's something that brings out those funky flavors that make Southeast Asian cuisine delicious.”

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How he conceives new dishes: “I saw an interview with the guys from Monty Python, and they were talking about creativity and how you have to really sit down and have time for that because otherwise it won't come. Forcing it doesn't help. So I try to sit down and block out two hours to sit and write menus or just to read,” he said. “My iPhone is full of random thoughts, and I can go back and sort through them and decide on different ingredients... It's kind of a dream job. I get to read about food, I get to eat food and I put all that together and try to make the best things I can.”

Style: Grilled over charcoal with an anchovy vinaigrette and topped with what Bowers calls lilies (members of the lily family). Not on the regular menu.

How he came up with this dish: “Jason Dady did a dish with lilies, which is in the onion family, a long time ago. I knew I didn't want to fry the wing. I wanted to grill it and barbecue it. It just made sense, the textural contrast on top,” he said. “The... vinaigrette with the anchovies just adds complexity to it. As you eat the wing, you'll taste the anchovy vinaigrette over it ... I like texture, I like color, and I like char.”

How he conceives of new dishes: “Visually. I don't sit down with a pad and paper and create dishes. I go out and look at things and the dish comes to mind. I'm an entirely visual human being, and that's how I created this dish,” he said. “I was looking at things, and shopping and deciding to put what with what. Knowing how I like to eat, how I like things to taste and that was it.”

How he came up with this dish: “The calamari (on Arcade's menu) set the tone... I wanted it to be interesting and have it be, 'Wow! I've never had a calamari like that before.' The sauce has that fruity, acid, spice to it, which reminds me of Chamoy when I was young. I threw down some Chamoy and Chinese candy and pickles when I was young, and I remember that flavor combination. And what did you throw it down with? You threw it down with Big Red, or you threw it down with a raspa. ... I think those sweet and sour flavor profiles resonate with people because it touches all the senses. I thought that was going to be a real good approach to calamari, and it totally worked. So why not just do the same thing with the chicken wing?”

How he conceives of new dishes: “It's not as easy as it sounds. Sometimes a chef has an idea or a vision and sometimes it works. But as a chef you have to step back and say, 'That's what I would like to cook, but what would a diner like to eat?' What's going to be well received? What's going to generate revenue and support the business? I'm always thinking 50 percent chef and 50 percent customer.”

Style: Red curry wings in a Thai red curry sauce made with a large wooden mortar and pestle. Not on the regular menu.

How he came up with this dish: He credited Watson at The Monterey with introducing him to using vodka for a crisper wing. “I wanted to do a wing that was super high flavor, high profile, intense on the heat. When you think about wings, you want something that's crunchy and spicy at the same time,” Dady said. “I've always been interested in cooking Thai food, just for myself as a hobby. It was a perfect fit and it's something that has worked out in our favor.”

How he conceives of new dishes: “I definitely get a lot of random, weird ideas when I'm driving around. How does it get from the head to the plate? I like to write things down and wrap my brain around the process of: Are the ingredients available, are they preppable, are they preppable repeatedly, are they teachable to somebody, are the guests going to order it and will you have an appropriate cost that's reasonable for the guest and for the restaurant,” he said. “I try to cover all the bases when formulating something like that.”